I don't know if this has been posted yet, but it seems that 2016 was a tough year for Ophidian. In his latest vlog (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EqeoVuY3PPk), he gave us his thoughts on the current state of the Hardcore scene and how his particular style of Hardcore is not popular, let alone enjoyable. What are everyone's thoughts?

I hope nobody thinks this problem is a new one. Greed and corruption started to take over nearly a decade ago. Since then individuality got slowly and systematically eradicated, artists found themselves locked up between barriers. Back then everybody had their own unique sound, the scene praised the diversity. Now if you try to come up with something different you can easily find yourself unwanted. These are pretty tough times for artists like Conrad who want to make a living from hardcore, because there are rules now and you have to follow them.

Eventually this scene is going to consume itself, so I'm rooting for Conrad to find his way out. I'm sure he can find an alternative solution and go back producing tracks he really wants.

I'm sad that we're in a scene or a phase of the scene that doesn't appreciate Ophidian and makes him feel unwanted. Blows my mind since he's such a talented guy who's made so many amazing tracks. And I totally feel for him, playing in front of people who are for the most part indifferent. I guess in a way I'm lucky that's been pretty much my whole career, I have yet to know the ups vs the downs. Always on the down lol

CAP:I'm sad that we're in a scene or a phase of the scene that doesn't appreciate Ophidian and makes him feel unwanted. Blows my mind since he's such a talented guy who's made so many amazing tracks.

Basically everything I thought about all of that.It boggles the mind that we're in a phase where Ophidian of all people feels unwelcome. "huuuur gimme dat uptempo duuuuur" fuckin' hell... I can't wait for that shit to implode on it self and fuck off.

CAP:I'm sad that we're in a scene or a phase of the scene that doesn't appreciate Ophidian and makes him feel unwanted. Blows my mind since he's such a talented guy who's made so many amazing tracks.

Basically everything I thought about all of that.It boggles the mind that we're in a phase where Ophidian of all people feels unwelcome. "huuuur gimme dat uptempo duuuuur" fuckin' hell... I can't wait for that shit to implode on it self and fuck off.

This is what happens when you expect larger audiences who mostly understand Hardcore as a massive drugs and kicks feast with "subversive" "melodramatic" themes to appreciate your tracklist/tracks. I'd even say that the further promoters and big names try to captivate wider populations, the lesser the crowds attracted take Hardcore seriously. The best example of this effect is seen in Hardstyle current scene, which is really just another version of the Mainstream scene of Hardcore even more extreme in its insipidity.It's not particular to Hardcore or danceable styles. And paradoxally it's not something to bother fighting against since it still attracts a few people progressively to the underground scene (I wouldn't even be there if there wasn't some big popular names).I love a bunch of Ophidian's tracks but it's a bit weird to see him discover in 2016 how music and its audience works together. Then I understand it's not easy to be playing at the different editions of same parties and see progressively (or abruptly) that the people in front aren't giving a shit anymore about actual music.

Still don't get it how this dumbfuck Uptempo garbage could get so popular It's cheap, poorly produced and literally everything sounds the same... Unfortunalety it's the shit right now and producers with musical integrity like Conrad for sure have some hard times atm and this is very sad

ThePrincipal:the same drug craving and kick loving people used to dig his tracks 5-10 years ago (hell even in 2013 Conrad was playing everywhere!)

I'm not saying it's that simple, obviously it's impossible to determine exactly how it led to Ophidian and others being unwanted where they played, it's way too chaotic. Ophidian was playing at big hardcore festivals and mainstream lineups but was also trying to adapt a bit to the people in front of him, adding softer/easy tracks (some he made) but still keeping industrial stuff. It worked maybe several years until the audience became more and more obnoxious and unforgiving with the noisy stuff. Probably because Industrial Hardcore heavy listeners became less and less interested by big parties lineups especially the Industrial section which was progressively infested by Frenchcore/Uptempo acts that were attracting more people. It's not only the fault of the crowd, DJs/Producers/promoters/the industry pushed the idea Hardcore could be popular (or a good source of money) to the extreme and it gave this.

Bibifoc:Probably because Industrial Hardcore heavy listeners became less and less interested by big parties lineups especially the Industrial section which was progressively infested by Frenchcore/Uptempo acts that were attracting more people.

The Industrial, in its original form, is dead. The biggest names adapted to the current trends, they had to if they wanted to stay in the blood circulation and to keep the bookings coming, while the less famous ones went back to the depths of the underground, producing doomcore and other non-crowd pleasing stuffs. (That's why you cannot see them on big parties anymore)

The audience changed, the trends shifted, for the better or worse, Conrad has to accept that as well. He's one of the few who's still got principles, I respect that, but his struggle is futile. Probably the best way for him (and the most difficult one ofc) would be to decouple himself from the industry and make another way of living. Once he depends from the scene no more, he can do whatever he likes, he can return to working on his art, his labels and stuff. Either that, or he's going to fall out the game with this attitude anyway. It's just a matter of time. :/

"especially the Industrial section which was progressively infested by Frenchcore/Uptempo acts that were attracting more people."

This part of my second post was written with the example of the MoH Raiders Of Rampage edition, but Defqon is not in this case, still accepting explicitly DJs with a rough/uncommon Industrial tracklist in a specific section. So what I say in this extract should not be taken too seriously. In Dominator Riders Of Retaliation edition there were even Mouse and No Name ! Passenger Of Shit was also playing at some editions of Dominator.